Hi and welcome to the forum. This is a great first post and I wish you lived closer I would take you up on your offer in a heartbeat.

Thinking back to when I first started paying attention to self-sufficiency I was maybe 10, but it was always around me in those days and anyone would let you watch and if you hung around a bit they put you to work. We do live in a different time now and not for the better in this case. Each generation loses a little of the DIY spirit it seems.

I hope someone reads your offer and takes you up on it. I have helped quite a few young people learn by doing and I tell them I will show you how and even let you use my tools but make them do the task. That’s how I was taught and I learned right or wrong and it’s the getting started part that’s the hardest and then you can read and refine things as you go.

The first time I ventured down south for a vacation I had half the trunk full of tools and spare parts for the old car I had not even thinking if I broke down someone could be hired on the way to get me going. I didn’t need to fix anything but I ended up helping someone else at a rest stop that couldn’t believe I had tools and a universal radiator hose with me. I don’t do that anymore but I think that skill building process is still important.

You might just ask around your new neighborhood first and then branch out and see who you might find. A well-equipped retired neighbor might be more than happy to teach in trade for some lawn mowing or something like that.

Ha. Thanks all! I'm up in NJ pretty often, but doubt I could swing project time for those trips. Ah well!

Either way; I'll be asking plenty of questions; just always nice to have some hands-on time with more experience than I.

edit: Just saw Bud's post. Thanks for the comments. I know that I'll do best by investing time in myself and others to learn, rather than just contract everything out. It's a bit rough to approach totally green, doubly do because I dont want to ruin anything - but that's the nature of it.

Career wise I've been entirely self-taught by investing time and effort and learning from those around me. Sadly it's not home/DIY related, but I'd really like to apply some of the same approaches to learning this stuff.